Local News

Several animals killed in Westport barn fire

The blaze was contained to the barn, the fire department said.

Westport Fire Department

May 7, 2024

1 minute to read

Several animals died Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in a Westport barn.

According to the Westport Fire Department, a town highway surveyor was in the area and spotted smoke coming from the barn on Sodom Road, calling 9-1-1 just after 7 a.m. He also notified the property owners and worked with them to start removing livestock from the barn.

Firefighters arrived at the scene about five minutes after receiving the report of it, finding “heavy smoke and fire rapidly spreading throughout the loft area of the entire structure.”

“There were multiple exposures surrounding the barn, including the family home,” the fire department said. “Challenged by a lack of initial staffing and water supply, firefighters worked quickly to protect exposures, and thankfully, the fire was contained in the building of origin.”

Mutual aid tankers and fire engines from Little Compton and Tiverton, R.I. and Dartmouth, Mass. also responded to the scene to assist with supplying water and staffing. Tankers shuttled water back and forth from Adamsville Pond to the scene, according to the department.

“While several animals were saved by the property owners and firefighters, several, unfortunately, perished in the blaze,” the department said.